Virginia Hope Pflanz 1922 - 2021

PFLANZ, ALBRIGHT

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 2/11/2021 at 11:17:22

Sioux City Journal
3 January 2021

Virginia Hope Pflanz

Sioux City

Virginia Hope Pflanz, 98, of Sioux City, passed peacefully on Jan. 2, 2021, at a local care center after a brief illness.

Services will be planned later over Memorial weekend due to the COVID pandemic restrictions. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Friday at Memorial Park Cemetery and will be live streamed at https:/youtu.be5slpAIM_Rk. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.

Virginia Hope Pflanz (Albright) of Sioux City was born in Hartley, Iowa, March 9, 1922, to Welthy and Freeman Albright, first born of three children. Virginia attended school in Hartley, graduated in 1939 and attended one year of Junior College in Sheldon because she was then too young to enter nurse's training.

She graduated from St Joseph School of Nursing in Sioux City, the Class of 1943. She was one of 15 student nurses who joined the Red Cross Nurses Reserve.

Virginia worked at the Methodist Hospital in Sioux City, and always a proud nurse. It was there she was caring for a patient who had broken his back painting the ceiling of Katz Drug Store. His name was Leo F. Pflanz, Painting and Decorating Contractor in Sioux City.

Sometime later, Leo was painting at the Methodist Hospital when he spotted Virginia through a window, and said, "There's my nurse." Leo and Virginia were married on July 22, 1944; they bought a house on 15th Street owned by Bill and Tina Bomgaars. Virginia lived in that beloved house for 76 years.

After raising two children, Virginia returned to nursing in 1957 and was Head Nurse in General Surgery at the Methodist Hospital. Then moved to St. Luke's where she was Assistant Head Nurse on the Orthopedic Floor, which she loved. She retired in 1984.

Virginia was a member of many Clubs and Associations where she held various offices including Women's Club of Sioux City, Girls of '68, American Legion Auxiliary (because her father was in World War I), Women's golf at Sun Valley Par 3, and First United Methodist Church Circle, where she was a member since 1944. Virginia was President of B. P. O. Does in 1956. She had season tickets for 20 years to the Sioux City Explorers games. She loved her baseball.

She loved traveling and would make countless driving trips with Leo, and after Leo's passing in 1975, she still planned trips with a group of lady friends including her mother. She traveled every state in the U.S. plus some international travel. She loved golf, and had many trophies.

Mother will be remembered for her Christmas cookies, and oh, those apricot balls, and everyone who received a plate of cookies from Virginia will remember the endless variety of cookies each year.

Virginia is survived by her daughter, Gloria Pflanz of New York City; son, Jerald Pflanz of Pine, Ariz.; nephews, Keith (Kristy) Lux of Scottsdale, Randy Lux of Omaha, Scott Albright, Brian Albright, Rick Albright; and four cousins, Floyd (Betty) Henspeter of Ravensdale, Wash., Gordon (Charlotte) Henspeter of Covina, Calif., Jessie (Orlin) Henspeter of Tampa, Fla., and Melva (Earl) Henspeter of Preston, Minn.; no grandchildren, but many grand nieces and nephews and great-grand nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Freeman Albright and Welthy (who lived 108 years); her husband, Leo F. Pflanz; sister, Gloria Lux and her husband, Marvin Lux of Hartley, Iowa; brother and sister-in-law, Merle and Jo Albright of Albuquerque, N.M.; cousins, Orlin Henspeter, Earl Henspeter, Marlo and Virginia Henspeter.